CULTEC recently announced an important design change that will allow for improved product integrity, safer handling, and a fresh look rebranding of its product line.

The company’s classic black chambers with a blue stripe have been a recognized staple in the marketplace since the company invented the original plastic chamber over 30 years ago. CULTEC even trademarked the tagline “The Chamber with the Stripe.”

Traditionally, CULTEC included carbon black in its chamber material formulation for protection against ultraviolet radiation and weathering. This is a common practice used in the plastics industry for pipe, sheets, and films. CULTEC found that in the hotter climates, the black chamber’s surface temperature was not only hot to the touch, but at extreme hot temperatures, the mechanical properties of the units were impacted.

As a result of customer feedback and field and laboratory testing, CULTEC decided to add a thin, blue “sunblock” layer to the chambers. The new, blue outer chamber surface contains a special formulation to protect against ultraviolet and weathering damage. The blue color also greatly reduces the surface temperature of the chambers in direct sunlight. The inside surface of the chamber continues to be black, providing the most cost-effective product possible.

The new color designation will also allow for quicker identification of heavy-duty versus standard-duty versions of the CULTEC chambers in the field and at supply yards. All of CULTEC’s heavy-duty traffic-rated (HD) chambers will now be manufactured with blue material. Standard-duty versions of the chambers (available on some models) will remain unchanged as black without a stripe.